Monday, September 15, 2014

Peoria, Illinois has a wonderful Christ based organization called South Side Mission. They partner with other agencies to help provide services to the community such as spiritual ministry, a food pantry, shelter, help with job training/skills, community garden, emergency appliances, and much much more including a housing center specifically for women and children called The New Promise Center.

Women and children who have been displaced due to a number of reasons including domestic violence, loss of income, or natural disaster can seek help from the New Promise Center. At the New Promise Center, women and children work with a case manager who will help them to establish and achieve goals through a structured program. This program will give them the tools they need to get back on their feet while . You can learn more about The New Promise Center here.

Basically, South Side Mission is a beacon of hope to those who need it most.

On October 5th, 2014, the South Side Mission will be hosting their 2nd annual

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

I started cooking and baking with coconut oil a couple of years ago. Started out using it in muffin recipes, then decided to use it to pop popcorn, then started using it every time I baked. On and on until coconut oil became a staple in my kitchen cabinet.

Then, this summer my son got a mohawk. There was a patch of dry skin on the side of his head that was now visible. This patch had been there for as long as I could remember. Now though it was fully visible to everyone, making my son look kind of like a punk leper. Not the best look on anyone let alone a 6 year old. Suddenly a stroke of genius occurred to me. I got the coconut oil and rubbed a little bit on the spot. That was in June. It still hasn't returned. I was and still am amazed.

I have always had very dry skin. After seeing how well the coconut oil worked for my son I thought maybe I should give a try myself. So I began using it as skin moisturizer and as a face moisturizer. I've been doing this for 2 months now and I love it. I love how soft it makes my skin!

On my face, I use just a tiny bit on my finger tips. It soaks in pretty well so my skin doesn't look or feel oily. You may have to figure out the right amount for yourself though because some days I feel like my skin needs a little more. My skin has not broken out or had any other issues that I was originally concerned with about the coconut oil. Again, I've been doing this for 2 months now and not using any other moisturizer.

On my legs and arms I use a much more generous amount. Again, the coconut oil soaks in pretty quickly and doesn't leave me feeling oily at all unless I use way too much. Which happened a couple of times when I first started using it.

Here are some uses and benefits that have been attributed to coconut oil:

I only use organic 100% coconut oil. The brand doesn't matter as long as the one and only ingredient is organic coconut oil. The bottle I've been using on my skin actually came from my trip to the Dominican Republic. I use a store brand to cook with but it's all the same so I could cook or moisturize with either. No more expensive lotions with too much stuff in there that I can't pronounce!

Sunday, May 11, 2014

As parents we all have moments that we aren't proud of. I've had my fair share of 'mommy guilt.' I wish I could say that I've always made the right decision or had the best answer for every situation but that's just not so. I have however learned to accept that I'm doing my best and my heart is always in the right place when it comes to my kiddos. I've also learned to laugh at some of the not so great moments and make peace with the others. So here they are, so that hopefully you too will get a laugh at some and maybe relate to others.

1. When my oldest daughter was about 4 months old I accidentally locked her and my keys in the car in the dead of winter. I called the police, in tears and frantic. Thankfully they were able to get her out within minutes. She was snug and warm in her carseat but I was a wreck.

2. Same daughter, two years later I accidentally locked her in the car again while pumping gas. Luckily, she was able to climb out of her carseat and unlock the door. She remembers this and often makes sure that I do too.

3. Same daughter... I know, poor kid. She missed the school bus one morning so I drove her to school and dropped her off. Watched until she was inside to make sure she got in okay. Got home in time to hear a message being left on my answering machine asking me to come pick up my daughter because it was 'teacher's institute' and there was no school. Apparently she didn't actually miss the bus. Yeah, that was AWESOME.

4. My other daughter, K, was in pre-school and I somehow missed the memo that there was a class musical performance. It took place during school and I found out when I picked her up. I felt so horrible. I made sure I never missed another one. They ended up having several that year.

5. K again, had 'Wacky Wednesday' at pre-school and I completely forgot to dress her in wacky attire. She still talks about it.

6. One of my worst moments... I was having coffee with a friend. I was watching the clock so that I would be on time to pick K up from preschool. More time had passed than I realized though and I wasn't looking at the hour hand, just the minute hand. I thought I needed to leave in 20 minutes but I was actually a half hour late picking her up. Total fail. Fast forward to earlier this year. I was at her school for something and had to go into the office. There was a dad in there picking up his pre-schooler. I heard him say how sorry he was for losing track of time and being so late. After he left, the secretary said, "Oh, that happens a couple times a year." This made me feel a little better to know that I'm not the only parent to ever forget to pick up their child. But for 3 years I thought for sure I was the only one.

If only I'd thought of this...

7. My son is full blown BOY. He is curious, energetic, fearless, and stealthy. Not the best combination when going through toddler-hood. It seems like everywhere I went the phrase, "Where's D?" came out of my mouth at some point. The kid needed a bell attached to him at all times. Wish I would have thought of that before now... He was 1 1/2 when we were having a playdate in a friend's FENCED IN backyard. My daughter who was 3 at the time had to go potty so I took her in the house. My friends were still outside with all the kiddos so I thought it would be okay for a couple minutes. Wrong. I was not even gone 5 minutes and when I came out I just knew he was no longer in the yard. We all looked everywhere in the yard but he had managed to open the gate without anyone seeing him and then upon leaving, he shut the gate behind him. See, stealthy. We found him a couple houses down in a neighbor's yard. Thankfully, the neighbor was outside and was keeping him occupied so he wouldn't wonder anywhere else. This was possibly the scariest moment of my life. My friends all apologized and felt terrible that none of them saw him sneak off. Danyelle later pulled me aside and said, "I get it now. I know what you've told me about him but now I totally get it." Until that day, Fred and I were really the only people who understood why we had to be 'helicopter' parents with our son. I was not like that with my girls because I didn't need to be but my son came along and I basically had to go into parenting survival mode.

8. My son peed down the laundry chute. You can read the full story here if you need a good laugh.

9. My daughter, K, dropped her drawers and peed in our friend's backyard during a cookout. In front of EVERYONE. In her defense, she was 3 and we live in the country so when the kids were swimming, I would let them pee in the yard instead of having to go in the house while dripping wet.

10. A few weeks ago I promised K that I would take her a special lunch to school. I do this on occasion as a treat ... and usually because I haven't been to the store and we're out of stuff for her lunch. Well, I was out running errands all morning and all of the sudden my cell phone rings. It was the school secretary asking if I was bringing lunch for K. It's now 20 minutes into lunchtime. I had completely forgotten. I ran to Subway and grabbed her a veggie sub and then drove to her school with little regard for speed limits. She was sitting by herself at a table outside during recess, waiting for me to show up with her lunch. Epic Fail. I felt so so so bad. I apologized to her repeatedly and she told me that she forgave me. However, I told her I was taking her lunch to her one day last week and she said, "Okay, but please don't forget." UGH. Something that had once brought a joyous smile to her face now filled her with trepidation. When I got to her school with her lunch, she was in the hallway getting something from her book bag. She saw me there and immediately wrapped her arms around my waist.

Failure. This word used to swim around in my head a lot. From the littlest thing to the biggest I would completely beat myself up. I would look at my friends and wish I could be the kind of moms they were. That I could just get it together. Instead, I always felt overwhelmed and not good enough.

Running helped change this for me. Taking time for myself has made me a better mom. I'm not perfect, don't misunderstand. I just don't beat myself up anymore. Running makes me a happier person. Being happy makes it easier to handle the 'not so great' moments of parenthood. How can we as parents expect to take care of anyone else if we aren't taking care of ourselves?

“Mothers and their children are in a category all their own. There’s no bond so strong in the entire world. No love so instantaneous and forgiving.” —Gail Tsukiyama
Today is Mother's Day. I truly hope that all of the moms reading this are taking care of themselves today. If you are not, you need to start.

If you have a 'Mommy Moment' you would like to share, please feel free to do so in the comments!

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Remember last year when I almost died? No? Well, okay, I didn't almost die, I just felt like maybe Death himself was moving at a not so brisk pace behind me as I forced my body through the 9 levels of 25k hell. It wasn't my favorite race.

The Run River City Marathon (+ about 15 other events) is back! So of course I wanted to sign up. They decided to not do the 25k again this year (which is really proof as to how miserable it was) and instead have a half marathon event. I thought about doing the half but honestly, I'm still gun shy about my foot. I have been taking it easy on my runs and so far no sign of plantar fasciitis flaring up, but I have been afraid to push training for a Spring half. My goal is to run a Fall half though. So, anyway, I talked some friends, and Fred, into joining me for the marathon relay.

My pretty awesome friends, Renee and Pradeep agreed to join Fred and I. We are not out to win any awards so there is no pressure. Just a fun race with friends. My favorite kind.

We had to come up with a team name. Which, turns out, is harder than one would think. Because we all kind of joked about being slow we decided on 'Vulture Bait'. Honestly, that is exactly what I felt like when I ran the River City 25k last year. It was hot, the water stops suddenly became extinct around mile 'are you kidding me, that's all???' and it was hot.

This year though, I'm ready. Team 'Vulture Bait' is going to have a great run and a great time. This will be my first relay so I'm really excited. Plus, it's not a 25k!!! So, hopefully, the vultures won't actually get to eat us.

Maybe the very best part though... my 8 year old daughter is signed up to run the kids marathon. This is such a cool event. The kids who sign up for this have to run 25 miles prior to the day of the River City Marathon. Then on race day they get to run the final 1.2 miles and cross the finish line to receive their River City Marathon medal. Right now she is up to 17 miles. We will be getting in another 2 miles today. She is seriously LOVING this. I can't even tell you how proud and happy that makes me. It would be fine if she didn't like running, my oldest daughter doesn't, so I would get over it. However, I'm thrilled that K truly is enjoying it. So cool to be able to go on runs with her and see her excitement, watch her really focus on getting better.

If you are in the Central Illinois area or feel like a road trip you can check out the Run River City events here.

Also, if you haven't joined our Squat Challenge, it's not too late to jump in and get started!

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

For the month of May we will be holding you accountable while keeping you motivated. Check in on our Facebook page daily for motivation, health tips, and accountability posts.

Danyelle and I will both be participating with you!

Let's make some awesome happen!

On May 31st we want to hear from you!

Everyone who reports in on May 31st to tell us how you did with the challenge will be entered into a prize drawing. So, get busy squatting, check in with us on our Facebook page during the challenge for health tips, motivation, and other fun stuff. Leave us a comment here or on our Facebook page on May 31st telling us how the challenge went for you.

Monday, April 21, 2014

A few years ago I won a pair of Ryders sunglasses as a door prize at a race. I have worn them on a lot of my runs. They are hot pink, comfortable, and lightweight. After three years, they are still in pretty good condition but I have managed to scratch them here and there. So, time for new sunglasses.

I contacted the good people at Ryders Eyewear. They were very quick in getting back to me which I always appreciate as a consumer. Good customer service is always a plus! A week or so later I received not just one but two new pairs of Ryders in the mail. That's right, Ryders provided me with an extra pair of eyeglasses to GIVE AWAY to one lucky person! Pretty cool, huh?!?!

Before we get to that though, let me tell you a little bit more about them. For me, the most important feature my sunglasses can have is comfort. They can't fit too tight on my head or I will get headaches. I don't want them slipping down my nose constantly or fogging up when I really start sweating. And, I'll admit, it helps if they look cool. The Ryders Coco definitely fits the bill for me! I've worn them on several runs now and I really love everything about them. They stay right where they are supposed to stay without fitting too tight. The larger lenses are great for me because my eyes are very sensitive to light and as a result I often get headaches. The Coco's do a great job of protecting my eyes. This pair is also a really great, fun color!

Obviously there is much more to them than looks and comfort though. Below is the list of stats taken straight from Ryders Eyewear website.

COCO

Whether you want a disguise or some fashionable eyewear for your next televised table tennis match, the COCO’s massive lenses and airy design have you covered.

LENS TINT

GREY

LIGHT CONDITIONS : designed for medium to very bright light

COLOUR EFFECT : darkens colours without changing hue or contrast

VISIBLE LIGHT TRANSMISSION : 14%, category 3

UV PROTECTION : 100% UVA, UVB, UVC and harmful blue light to 400nm

LENS MATERIAL

POLYCARBONATE LENS MATERIAL

Polycarbonate is the extraordinarily durable thermoplastic that’s used in bulletproof glass, riot shields and astronaut helmets. It’s the ideal material for performance eyewear because of its high impact resistance, inherent UV protection and light weight. All of our lenses are made of polycarbonate.

UV PROTECTION

All of our lenses block 100% of UVA, UVB, and UVC rays, and harmful blue light to 400nm. These harmful rays are a leading cause of cataracts, skin cancer and wrinkles around the eyes—all great reasons to block them out.

SHATTERPROOF

All of our lenses are shatterproof, meaning they won’t break up into dangerous little shards when impacted. An extremely strong impact may damage the lens, but it will never shatter. If astronauts trust this material to keep their heads from exploding while on a 17,000 mph space walk, you’ll have nothing to worry about on your adventures, no matter how fast you’re going.

OPTICALLY CORRECT

The lenses in all of our sunglasses are made by injecting molten polycarbonate into a mold that is specially shaped to eliminate distortion. This process makes the lenses optically correct, increasing comfort and minimizing eye fatigue.

SCRATCH-RESISTANT COATING

We apply a scratch-resistant coating to all of our lenses. Though this process makes the surface of the lens considerably harder than the base lens material, it’s impossible to make the lenses completely scratch proof (short of making them from diamonds) so please care for them properly as they may still scratch under certain conditions.

LENS VENTS

Available on some of our sunglasses, these vents are especially beneficial on snug-fitting designs where airflow around the frame and lens is limited. Increased airflow helps to protect against fogging and keep the face cool.

HYDROPHOBIC COATING

An altogether misleading name, this coating isn't nearly as scared of water as water is of the coating. In fact, water runs away at first contact, leaving clear lines of sight that are free from droplets and water marks.

FRAME MATERIALS

TR90 SWITZERLAND

A Swiss technology, this thermoplastic is the material used in all of our sunglasses (with the exception of our metal frames). Its extreme flexibility, durability and light weight make it the perfect material for performance eyewear.

HYDROPHILIC NOSE PADS + TEMPLE TIPS

Hydrophilic [anti-slip] nose pads are an important feature to look for in performance eyewear. Hydrophilic temple tips give that extra little bit of grip that can come in handy in many situations. The material we use to make these features is so effective that it actually grips better when it’s wet — exactly when it’s needed.

Sexy Mother Runner is doing a

GIVEAWAY

for a pair of Ryders VIA photochromic! You're definitely going to want to get in on this! Check out the stats below, these are pretty cool!!!

*Details on GIVEAWAY at bottom of page.

VIAPhotochromic

We hate boundaries as much as the next overly touchy close-talker. Unobstructed invasion of personal space was the inspiration behind the VIA's rimless design that provides an unobstructed field of vision.

PHOTOCHROMIC TECHNOLOGY

LIGHTEN + DARKEN AUTOMATICALLY

Light conditions are constantly changing. Time of day, weather, or simply a change in location or direction of travel will alter the intensity of the sunlight that’s reaching your eyes. Photochromic lenses automatically adjust to suit the amount of sunlight at any given time.

Our Photochromic lenses are made using an injection process that ensures they’re optically correct, decreasing eye fatigue and increasing comfort. At all tint levels — from the lightest to the darkest — RYDERS Photochromic lenses provide protection against 100% UVA, UVB, UVC and harmful blue light to 400nm.

When exposed to sunlight, the lenses will start to darken instantly. The time they take to reach maximum darkness depends on a number of factors including the intensity of sunlight and air temperature. Generally speaking, the adjustment from light to dark is quite rapid. The adjustment from dark to light will begin instantly but occur more gradually.

It’s important to note that most car windshields block the UV light that’s needed for the Photochromic reaction to take place. For this reason, you should not expect the tint of the lenses to darken while driving in bright conditions.

Polycarbonate is the extraordinarily durable thermoplastic that’s used in bulletproof glass, riot shields and astronaut helmets. It’s the ideal material for performance eyewear because of its high impact resistance, inherent UV protection and light weight. All of our lenses are made of polycarbonate.

UV PROTECTION

All of our lenses block 100% of UVA, UVB, and UVC rays, and harmful blue light to 400nm. These harmful rays are a leading cause of cataracts, skin cancer and wrinkles around the eyes—all great reasons to block them out.

SHATTERPROOF

All of our lenses are shatterproof, meaning they won’t break up into dangerous little shards when impacted. An extremely strong impact may damage the lens, but it will never shatter. If astronauts trust this material to keep their heads from exploding while on a 17,000 mph space walk, you’ll have nothing to worry about on your adventures, no matter how fast you’re going.

OPTICALLY CORRECT

The lenses in all of our sunglasses are made by injecting molten polycarbonate into a mold that is specially shaped to eliminate distortion. This process makes the lenses optically correct, increasing comfort and minimizing eye fatigue.

FRAME MATERIALS

TR90 SWITZERLAND

A Swiss technology, this thermoplastic is the material used in all of our sunglasses (with the exception of our metal frames). Its extreme flexibility, durability and light weight make it the perfect material for performance eyewear.

HYDROPHILIC NOSE PADS + TEMPLE TIPS

Hydrophilic [anti-slip] nose pads are an important feature to look for in performance eyewear. Hydrophilic temple tips give that extra little bit of grip that can come in handy in many situations. The material we use to make these features is so effective that it actually grips better when it’s wet — exactly when it’s needed.

So, what do you need to do to win??? Easy. The link to this post will be on our Sexy Mother Runner Facebook Page. Go there, type a comment on that post and then 'Share' it on your Facebook page! That's it. Comment and Share. All participants will be entered into a random drawing. The winner will be selected and announced on Tuesday April 29th. Good luck!!! Peace, Love, Happiness!~Bekah

Sexy Mother Runner

Questions? Comments? We would love to hear from you!

All of the opinions on this blog are just that, opinions. They are our personal opinions and nothing more. We are not doctors. We are not therapists. We are not members of Mensa. (Although Danyelle's husband was asked to join and would like to have it noted.)

All Giveaway participants must be located in the continental US in order to be eligible to win unless stated otherwise.